Device for inserting and removing watch crystals



Dec. 19, 1961 w. H. SCHAEREN ETAL DEVICE FOR INSERTING AND REMOVING WATCH CRYSTALS Filed Feb. 24, 1959 g 5 man m 3% Mi W HMIMA 22 EA e 3,013,330 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 3,013,330 DEVICE FOR INSERTING AND REMGVHNG WATCH CRYSTALS Walter H. Schaeren, 580 Fifth Ave, New York, N351, and Bernard Tauhert, Pecheries 10, Geneva, Switzerland Filed Feb. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 7%,639 4 Claims. (Cl. 29-218) This invention relates to a device for inserting and removing watch crystals, and refers more particularly to an adjustable device for inserting and removing wrist watch crystals.

Heretofore, wrist watch crystals were usually manually forced into the receiving groove of the case. Another method is by heating the crystal in order to change its shape so that it can fit in the watch case. These methods result in a great amount of damage to the crystals and are also uneconomical, in that a great deal of time and patience is required to accomplish the task.

Among the prior art devices for inserting or removing wrist watch' crystals are those requiring the creation of a vacuum to change the configuration of the crystal. Other devices require an extremely large amount of force to be applied normal to the face of the crystal, and in this manner the crystal is physically forced into the watch receiving groove. This procedure often causes scratching of the crystal face and very often results in damaging the crystal or the watch case. The devices of prior art which apply circumferential force on the crystals are not easily operated, are not suited for use on crystals of more than one size, and cannot be finely adjusted in applying force on said crystals.

One object of the present invention is to improve methods and devices of prior art and to provide an adjustable device for inserting and removing watch crystals which will not damage the crystal upon insertion or removal from the watch.

Another object is to provide a device for inserting and removing watch crystals having an efiicient, easily oper ated adjusting mechanism which can be precisely adjusted to apply a desired exact amount of force on the circumference of the crystal.

Still another object is to provide one device with interchangeable split-ring inserts which can insert and remove wrist watch crystals of various sizes.

A further object is to provide a device which is adjustable in such a manner that the same interchangeable splitring insert can be used to insert and remove crystals of somewhat ditferent sizes.

ther objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

The objects of the present invention may be realized by providing a device for inserting and removing watch crystals with a resilient head within which is disposed a resilient interchangeable split-ring, and by providing an adjusting mechanism connected to said head, whereby the configuration of said head and said split-ring may be selectively changed as desired.

A series of interchangeable split-rings of various inner diameters may be used to insert or remove various size watch crystals. A fine adjustment on the inner diameter of any split-ring placed in the device is achieved by means of the adjusting mechanism, so that when a crystal is disposed within the ring and the device is placed in the closed position, a selected inner diameter of the split-ring is achieved, whereby a particular amount of force can be circumferentially applied to the crystal within the ring. The circumferential force on the crystal decreases its diameter sufficiently, so that it can be inserted into, or removed from, the watch case.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the 2 accompanying drawings, showing, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

in the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing a device for inserting and removing watch crystals of the present invention in the closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a partial plan view of the same device in the open position.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one of the interchangeable spiit-ring inserts of the device of the present invent-ion.

FXGURE 4 is a perspective view of the head of th device for inserting and removing watch crystals.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the handle of FIGURE 2 showing the adjusting mechanism in the adjusting handle.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the adjusting mechanism.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view along the line VII-VII of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 shows the guide member in three possible positions.

FIGURE 9 is a diagram indicating the operative movements or the device of the present invention resulting from the use of the adjusting mechanism.

A device it of the present invention for inserting and removing watch crystals 9 comprises a head portion 11, a fixed handle 12 rigidly connected to the head 11, an adjusting handle 13 movably connected to the head 11, and an interchangeable split-ring insert 14 inserted in the head 11.

The adjusting handle 13 comprises a handle arm 15 which is an integral part of the handle 13 and by which the adjusting handle 13 is rotatably connected to the protrusion 25 of the upper portion 17 of the head 11; the handle 13 carries an adjusting mechanism 16 by means of which the adjusting handle 13 is rotatably connected to protrusion 27 of the lower portion 18 of the head 11 (FIGURE 1).

The head 11 is shown in perspective in FIGURE 4 and consists of one integral piece of resilient metal substantially cylindrical in shape. A cylindrical hole 19, having one diameter at one end region 20 and a smaller diameter in the other end region 21, so as to form a circular ledge 22, is centrally disposed in the head 11. A radial slot 23 separates the upper head portion 17 from the lower head portion 18, although portions 17 and 18 still are part of one integral member being continuous in the head region 24. Region 24 also has holes 24a for rigidly connecting the fixed handle 12 to the head 11.

immediately above the slot 23 the head 11 has two external protrusions 25, 25 separated by a slot 26 normal to and connecting with slot 23, and immediately below the slot 23 the head 11 has two external protrusions 27, 27 separated by a slot 28 normal to and connecting with slot 23. The protrusions 25, 25 and 27, 27 have holes 29, 34?, respectively, for rotatably connecting the adjusting handle arm 15 to the protrusions 25 and for rotatably connecting the adjusting mechanism arm 41 to the protrusions 27 (FIGURES 1, 2 and 4).

An interchangeable split-ring insert 14 shown in FIG- URE 3 has a slot 31, an outer surface 32, the diameter of which equals the diameter of the end 29 of hole 19 of head 11, and an inner surface having a lower region 33 of one diameter and an upper region 34 of a larger diameter. Said larger diameter 34 is slightly larger than the diameter of the watch crystal 9 to be removed.

it should be noted that the inner surface 34 of the split-ring 14 can be made any shape and not just circular. Such shapes could be square, triangular, hexagonal, etc. without changing the outside circular shape of the split- 3 ring, so that the ring would still be interchangeable in the device 10.

Both the split-ring 14, and the head 11 are made out of resilient, fatigue resisting metals, whereby an application of a force may temporarily change their shapes without introducing any permanent deformation when the force is released.

The adjusting mechanism 16 which is disposed in the adjusting handle 13 (FIGURES l, 2, 5, 7) is shown in perspective in FIGURE 6 and comprises a threaded stud member 35 rigidly connected to a bifurcated guide member 36, a cylindrical nut 37 threaded on the stud 35 and having an upper surface 38, a lower surface 39, and a raised knurled portion 40 for easy application of torque, and an adjusting mechanism arm 41 rotatably connected to the guide 36 by means of the pin 42.

The adjustable handle 13 which comprises two parallel metallic portions (FIGURE 7) is especially slotted, as shown in FIGURES and 7, to receive the adjusting mechanism 16. The slot 43 is so shaped that the upper surface 38 and lower surface 39 of the cylindrical nut 37 are in contact with the upper and lower surfaces 44, 45 of the slot 43 when the nut 37 is placed in the handle. The nut 37 can rotate in the slot 43, but it cannot move along the longitudinal axis of the adjusting handle 13 due to the contact with the surfaces 44, 45.

The slot 46 is shaped so that its lateral width is substantially equal to the width of the guide 36, while its longitudinal height is considerably greater than the height of the guide 36. The slot 46 has an upper surface 47 and a lower surface 48 geometrically similar to the upper and lower surfaces 49, 50, respectively, of the guide 36. This configuration allows the guide 36 to move in the direction of the longitudinal axis of adjusting handle 13, but does not allow the guide 36 to move normal to said longitudinal axis.

The adjusting mechanism arm 41 is rotatably connected to the protrusions 27, 27 of the head 11, by means of a pin 51, and the adjusting handle 13 is connected to the protrusions 25, 25 by means of a pin 52 (FIGURES 1, 2 and 7).

The operation and use of the device of the present invention is as follows:

When it becomes necessary to insert or remove a watch crystal 9 from a watch, an interchangeable split-ring 14 is selected whose upper inner surface 34 has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the crystal, FIG- URE 3.

With the device 10 in the open position, as shown in FIGURE 2, the split-ring 14 is inserted into the cylindrical hole 19 with the upper inner surfaces 34 on top. Since the diameter of the outside surface 32 of the split-ring 14 is substantially the same as the diameter 34 of the hole 19 in the open position (FIGURE 2), a snug, but easily made fit may be had. The ring 14 is then seated firmly on the ledge 22 in the hole 19 (FIGURES 2 and 4).

The device 10 (in the open position of FIGURE 2) is then brought to a position wherein the crystal 9 is disposed within the ring 14 and on the same level as the surface 34. The adjusting handle 13 is then brought toward the fixed handle 12, thus bringing the device to the closed position, whereby the diameter of the hole 19 and the diameter of surface 34 are decreased, causing the surface 34 of ring 14 to firmly grip the circumferential surface of the crystal 9 and to decrease the crystal diameter (FIGURE 1). Should the grip on the crystal be too loose or too tight, the handle 13 is moved away from handle 12 and the device 10 is again brought to the open position of FIGURE 2. A fine adjustment may then be made using the adjusting mechanism 16. By rotating the cylindrical nut 37 while in the open position, the diameter of the hole 19 and, consequently, the diameter across the surface 34 of the ring 14 can be regulated, whereby a different diameter across the surface 34 results when the device 10 is returned to the closed position.

When removing a crystal 9, a firm grip on the crystal 9 is achieved, and when the crystal diameter is sufficiently decreased, the device 10 is raised in a direction normal to the plane of the face of the watch and the crystal is easily removed without difficulty and without damage of any kind. Of course, the reverse process is also true. A loose crystal may be placed directly in the device and gripped by the split-ring 14 so that the diameter of the crystal is sufficiently decreased to fit the crystal into the watch case.

It may be seen by referring to FIGURE 4, that an application of force on protrusions 25 toward protrusions 27, and on protrusions 27 toward protrusions 25, will result in decreasing the height of slot 23 and will result in a decrease of the diameter of hole 19. With split-ring 14 in place in hole 19, the decrease in diameter of hole 19 results in an inward application of circumferential force on ring 14, causing the inner diameter of ring 14 to also decrease.

The required force on protrusions 25, 27 is applied by means of handle 13, handle arm 15, the adjusting mechanism 16 and the adjusting mechanism arm 41 (FIG- URE 2).

The handle arm 15 connects to protrusions 25 at point 29 and the adjusting mechanism arm 41 connects to pro trusions 27 at point 30 (FIGURES 1 and 2). The adjusting mechanism arm 41 connects to guide 36 at point 42 (FIGURES 1, 2 and 5). The length of adjusting arm 41 is the distance between points 30 and 42 and never varies. On the other hand, the effective length of the handle arm 15 is the distance between point 29 and point 42. But since point 42 is a part of guide 36 and since guide 36 can move longitudinally within handle 13, the distance between the point 42 and the upper end of the handle arm 15 can be varied, i.e., the distance between point 42 and point 29 where handle arm 15 connects to the protrusion 25 is variable. Thus the effective length of arm 15 is the variable distance between point 42 and point 29.

The further explanation will be in reference to points 29, 30, and 42, representing, respectively, the upper protrusions 25, the lower protrusions 27 and the point of connection between the adjusting handle arm 15 and the adjusting mechanism arm 41. Since only the relative movement between points 29 and 30 is governing in determining the diameter of the hole 19, point 29 may be assumed fixed in the following detailed explanation.

As the cylindrical nut 37 is rotated on the threaded stud 35, the stud 35 and the guide 36 must move in the longitudinal direction of the adjusting handle 13, since the nut 37 is prevented from moving longitudinally due to its contact with surfaces 44 and 45 (FIGURE 5). The longitudinal movement of guide 36 results in longitudinal movement of point 42. This movement may result only when the device is in the open position (FIG- URE 2), and guide 36 and point 42 may assume an infinite number of positions.

The guide 36 and point 42 are shown in three possible positions in FIGURE 8: the lowest possible position 36a, 42a wherein the distance between points 29 and 42 is the greatest possible; the highest possible position 360, 42c wherein the distance between points 29 and 42 is the smallest possible; and an intermediate position 36b, 42b.

As the guide 36 moves from the lowest to the highest position, the point 42 rotates in a circle A about point 30 (FIGURE 9), and the distance from point 30 to point 42 is fixed by the fixed length of adjusting mechanism arm 41. But while point 42 also rotates about point 29, it does not rotate about point 29 in a circle because as the guide 36 is moved upward the distance from point 29 to point 42 decreases.

This is shown clearly in the diagram of FIGURE 9, the point 29 being fixed, and 30 indicating the position of point 30 in the open position when no force is being applied. Points 42a, 42b and 420 correspond to the one line and are not coincidental, and since the adjusting mechanism arm 41 is of a fixed length, in the closed position the points 30a, 30b, and 30c lie in a straight line at varying distances from point 29. This is exactly what the device was intended to bring about, i.e. the controlled variation of the distance between points 29 and 30 which causes a variation in the diameter of the hole 19, which, in turn, causes a controlled variation of the inner diameter of split-ring 14, whereby a circumferential force is applied on crystal 9, thus decreasing its diameter.

Among the advantages of the present invention are the following:

The device can be used with any size wrist watch crystal by using interchangeable split-ring inserts of various internal sizes and shapes; the adjusting mechanism makes it possible to remove crystals of somewhat different sizes with the same split-ring insert; the adjusting mechanism is a precision mechanism enabling any desired force to be applied to the crystal and enabling the crystal diameter to be compressed by various amounts; the device is easily operated and is very economical, since it saves a great deal of time andeifort in inserting or removing crystals; and since the device is an easily controllable precision instrument applying a minimum circumferential force, the crystals are not damaged or injured in any way.

It is apparent that the described example is capable of many variations and modifications within the scope of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for inserting and removing watch crystals, comprising a resilient head portion having an exterior longitudinal surface, said head portion having formed therein a centrally disposed longitudinal opening and a slot, said opening and said slot extending for the entire longitudinal length of said head, said slot connecting said exterior surface and said opening; a resilient split-ring removably disposed in said opening, said head being in contact with the circumference of said split-ring, two arms, a pivot connecting one of said arms to said head adjacent to and on one side of said slot, another pivot connecting the other of said arms to said head adjacent to and on the other side of said slot, and means interconnecting said arms and varying the point of interconnection of said arms relative to the length of one of said arms, whereby the effective length of said one arm may be varied, said arms being movable from an open posi tion to a closed position, and vice versa, in said closed position the longitudinal axes of said arms being in alinement and extending through said pivots, in said open position said axes being at an acute angle to each other.

2. A device for inserting and removing watch crystals, comprising a resilient head portion having an exterior longitudinal surface, said head portion having formed therein a centrally disposed longitudinal opening and a slot, said opening and said slot extending for the entire longitudinal length of said head, said slot connecting said exterior surface and said opening; a resilient splitring removably disposed in said opening, said head being in contact with the circumference of said split-ring, and adjustable means connected to said head on both sides of and adjacent to said slot for applying forces on said head directed toward said slot, whereby said forces decrease the width of said slot and decrease the diameter of said head opening and of said split-ring diameter to enable said split-ring to grip a crystal disposed within said ring, wherein said adjustable means comprise an adjusting handle rotatably connected to said head adjacent to said slot, and an adjusting mechanism disposed substantially within said adjusting handle and comprising a guide, a threaded stud connected to said guide, an internally threaded nut threaded on said stud, and an adjusting mechanism arm having two ends and rotatably connected at one of said ends to said guide and rotatably connected at the other of said ends to said head adjacent to said slot and on the opposite side of said slot from the connection of said adjusting handle to said head; said adjusting handle having formed therein a guide slot and a nut slot disposed in longitudinal alignment, said guide slot being disposed closer to said point of connection with said head than said nut slot, said guide being disposed in said guide slot, said guide slot being longer than said guide and of substantially equal Width, whereby said guide is movable in the longitudinal direction of said adjusting handle in said slot and immovable transversely thereto, said nut being rotatably disposed in said nut slot, and having surfaces normal to said longitudinal direction in contact with said handle, whereby said nut is longitudinally restrained and whereby rotation of said nut causes said stud to move longitudinally on said nut threads, thereby causing said guide to move longitudinally in said guide slot.

3. A device for inserting and removing watch crystals, said device comprising a resilient substantially cylindrical integral head portion having an exterior longitudinal surface, said head portion having formed therein a centrally disposed longitudinal circular opening and a slot, said opening and said slot extending for the entire longitudinal length of said head, said slot connecting said exterior surface and said opening, said opening having one portion of a larger diameter and another portion of a smaller diameter; a resilient split-ring removably disposed in said end opening, said split-ring having an outside diameter substantially equal to said larger diameter of said opening and having an inside diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the watch crystal to be removed, a fixed handle rigidly connected to said head at a point substantially diametrically opposite said slot in said head, an adjusting handle rotatably connected to said head adjacent to said slot, and an adjusting mechanism comprising a guide, a threaded stud connected to said guide, an internally threaded nut threaded on said stud, and an adjusting mechanism arm rotatably connected at one of its ends to said guide and rotatably connected at the other one of its ends to said head adjacent to said slot and on the opposite side of said slot from the connection of said adjusting handle to said head; said adjusting handle having formed therein a guide slot and a nut slot disposed in longitudinal alignment, said guide slot being disposed closer to said point of connection with said head than said nut slot, said guide being disposed in said guide slot, said guide slot being longer than said guide and of substantially equal width, whereby said guide is movable in the longitudinal direction of said adjusting handle in said slot and immovable transversely thereto, said nut being rotatably disposed in said nut slot and having surfaces normal to said longitudinal direction in contact with said handle, whereby said nut is longitudinally restrained and whereby rotation of said nut causes said stud to move longitudinally on said nut threads, thereby causing said guide to move longitudinally in said guide slot, the distance from said guide to the point at which said adjusting handle connects to said head being always greater than the length of said adjusting mechanism arm, said adjusting handle and said arm being movable from an open position to a closed position and vice versa, in said open position said adjusting handle and said arm extending at an acute angle to one another, in said closed position said adjusting handle and said arm being in alinement and in alinement with the points of connection of said adjusting handle and said arm with said head.

4. The device for inserting and removing watch crystals, which comprises a one piece annular resilient head portion having a radial slot and protrusions located on opposite sides of said radial slot, a fixed handle rigidly connected to said head portion opposite to said radial slot, a single resilient split ring insert fitting inside said annular head portion and adapted to engage a watch crystal, an adjusting handle having an arm portion pivotally connected to a protrusion located on one side of said radial slot, an adjusting arm having one end pivotally connected to a protrusion located on the opposite side of said radial slot, said adjusting handle having formed therein an inner slot extending in the direction of said handle, a guide movable longitudinally in said inner slot, said adjusting arm having another end pivotally connected to said guide, said adjusting handle being movable from an open position to a closed position and vice versa, said arm portion and said adjusting arm having longitudinal axes which are in alinement and extend through their pivotal connections and are parallel to said fixed handle in said closed position, said longitudinal axes extending at an acute angle to each other in said open position, and means carried by said adjusting handle and connected with said guide for varying the position of said guide in said inner slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,217,217 Reagan Feb. 27, 1917 1,792,850 Looft Feb. 17, 1931 2,338,343 Maire Jan. 4, 1944 2,637,236 Vergani May 5, 1953 

